How To Plan The Best Micro Wedding In the Denver Metro Area
Due to COVID, the wedding planning process changed significantly in 2020.
Don’t let that get you down though. I’d like to share some good news and give you a few tips that I’ve learned over the past few months in regard to wedding planning. Who am I? I’m Cody Basden and I’m a professional photographer from Westminster, Colorado. And I’ve been working with a few couples to re-plan their weddings due to COVID-19, as well as watching the market and how it has changed throughout the pandemic.
Along the way, I’ve learned a number of things. And would love to share them with you:
1. A Smaller Wedding is Better
I’ve seen wedding guest counts (and prices) get really out of hand when to comes to planning. In my experience, this is usually due to family pressure and too high expectations. At some point, a lot of couples have started to feel like it’s not even their wedding anymore. They start to feel that they’re just along for the ride.
Use this year as YOUR excuse to have the wedding you want.
With a smaller wedding, you now have full control over your guest list. You get to invite the most important people in your life to be there, and you’ll actually have time to be with them.
2. You Get to Spend Time with EVERYONE at the Wedding
Traditionally, it’s actually rare for the newlyweds to spend time with everyone that attends their wedding.
With a smaller wedding, you actually get to spend time with everyone you’ve invited, and you don’t have to have a ‘mini’ conversation about the weather with your Second Cousin twice removed or be hassled by Mom as to why you didn’t thank your Great Aunt Edna for coming.
3. It’s Easier to Budget
Couples this year are saving so much money on their weddings. With a Micro Wedding you won’t have to break the bank on a larger venue or have to pay to feed 100+ mouths. Some of the ‘wedding traditions’ you may not be found of don’t have to be a part of a Micro Wedding. Make it your own.
Prices really have gotten out of control, and now you can spend the money you save in other places.
4. You Can Get Married Anywhere
This is one of the most exciting things with micro weddings!!!
You can get married anywhere. You no longer have to look for hall to accommodate a certain guest count, while also meeting the budget. Now you get to be creative. I’ve heard of couples who are getting married in forests, in front of waterfalls, and even at restaurants that would not have been possible with a larger guest count.
5. Better Wedding Photos
As a photographer this is the most exciting part of micro weddings for me. Weddings have become much simpler overall. Which means, less stress for you on the day. No problems to troubleshoot, you just get to enjoy the day. This lack of stress on the wedding day, really comes through in the photos.
We have all the time we need for your photos, and we’re in control of the time of day we take them. At a traditional wedding, the photo session just kind of fits wherever it fits. Which means we might face non-ideal lighting conditions where you might not look your best. With a micro wedding, we can schedule at the best time of day for photos.
To add to that, you can now use the budget you saved to spend a little more on the details and amenities you’d really like to have.
So How do you plan the BEST micro wedding?
My suggestions:
Pick your dream location. There are no longer any ‘rules’ to where you should have your ceremony. (As long as you’re staying with State guidelines, you’re good.)
Parks, locations, and businesses are all really going out of their way to be super accommodating to couples these days, and that makes your life a lot easier. Most places are affected by the pandemic and are looking for way to make some extra money. Your wedding may just be the ticket they’re looking for.
Spend some of the money you’re saving on bringing in great vendors. Budgets usually get worn thin because of the number of guests at the wedding. This is your excuse to involve all the vendors you would want to have for your dream wedding.
Set up an on-location dinner or move the party to a restaurant. With smaller guest counts, it’s now possible to set up a small reception wherever you’d like. Again, whatever your dream location is for this, this is probably the only year that it will be possible to do.
Planning to get the best photographs
Try to schedule your ceremony when it’s good for photos. 2 hours before sunset will give us the best light for photos. Hire a photographer (me!) for 2-5 hours. That will cover a little of the getting ready, the ceremony, family photos and photos of the two of you. (I have several packages to choose from, if you’d like me to come to the reception, or cover any other parts of the day). My photography style is primarily candid, so it’ll be a more relaxing experience than you might think taking your wedding photos can be. Safety in this time is also a priority for me. And of course, I will respect all current local rules.
If you’re interested in working together, please check out our Wedding Information page and request a meeting/booking.
Here’s my 2021 prices for a Micro Wedding:
Thanks for reading! Stay safe.